Tag Archives: diploma

Distance learning Interior Design School, The National Design Academy (NDA), is reducing its Diploma course fees to make them even more affordable and to encourage more students to fast track onto a Degree course before the government cuts higher education funding, causing huge fee increases from September.

These courses are flexible and can be studied via part-time distance learning allowing students to continue with existing work and family commitments. For students who would rather study face to face with a tutor, the funded* cost for the In-Studio course has dropped to £400 (down from £595).

These new Diploma prices apply regardless of whether students intend to progress onto a Degree or not and no special entry requirements are needed, but once completed they do provide a basis for starting a new career in an exciting industry or access to a Degree programme.

NDA’s Diplomas are validated and accredited by AIM Awards as being equivalent to standard A-Level and provide a great introduction into interior design that will develop the skills and confidence required to work on projects for family and friends and the qualifications essential to progress onto a BA ( Hons ) Degree.

To enrol visit to www.nda.ac.uk/enrol and complete the enrolment form, or call their enrolment team on 01159 123412 and start your education today.

Points to remember

• Degree funding ends on 30 August. Students must be enrolled before this date to still receive funding for a Degree. After this you can access a student loan.

• Diploma prices dropped to allow students to ‘fast track’ onto a Degree course before the government cuts its funding and fees go up in August.

• Instalment plans are available to help spread the cost.

*Funded prices apply to residents of England, Northern Ireland, The Channel Islands, Gibraltar and BFPO. Please see the website for full funding eligibility. http://www.nda.ac.uk/funding/

“I wish I could make a living doing something I loved” – Sound familiar? Many of us think along these lines at the beginning of a new year; Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are over and people are faced with going back to a job that they most likely aren’t very excited about.

But that doesn’t have to be the case! The beauty of being a Human is that we can make choices and we can change things. It’s often just our insecurities that prevent us from taking the plunge, our overactive imaginations asking questions like: “What if I can’t make it in a new career?”, “What if I try it and don’t like it?”, “What if I don’t have time to study a new course?”

The problem is they are all negative “What if” questions, try asking yourself some positive “What if” questions too, like: “What if I start on the path to a new career and find it inspiring and rewarding?”, “What if I discover something new about myself?”, or “What if it makes my life more satisfying?”

The problem with asking yourself “What ifs?” is you can never truly know the answers unless you take a course of action, and with a change in career that often involves doing a course and re-educating yourself, which in itself is a scary prospect and adds to the negative “What ifs”.

Distance learning means that you can fit doing a course around your job and your home life, yes it will be hard work, but changing your career should be a challenge, albeit an enjoyable one.

The biggest “What if” around education at the moment is of course this years hike in enrolment fees; “What if I can’t afford to do the course?”, but if you are interested in learning Interior Design then I must remind you that if you enrol and start a degree course with our friends at distance learning college, The National Design Academy, before July this year, you will still receive government funding.

If you don’t qualify for a degree course yet, NDA also provide Level 3 Diploma’s in Interior Design from £395 that anyone can do and then progress on to a degree. If you are unemployed and receiving benefits the diploma is only £105.

I know I’ve gone on about this before, but if money is an issue (when is it not?) then now is the time to decide if you can start on the path to a new Interior Design career, because it might never be this cheap to study Interior Design in the UK again.

More information about funding and course fees at The National Design Academy can be found here and here.

Good morning folks! I hope you are all well. I feel like I’ve been pulled away from blogging the last week or so because of a side project, so I’d like to post something today which I’m extremely happy to show you all.

I’ve had the pleasure of following bubbly and energetic student, Felicity Dainton from Wiltshire, through her Professional Interior Design Diploma studio course at the National Design Academy (NDA) in Nottingham. It was great to see first hand how she went from strength to strength and thoroughly enjoyed every task, every day.

The studio course is made up of one week at the NDA learning about colour theory, technical drawing, rendering, how to set up a business and lots more. Then the students have four weeks at home to complete their assignments and have a final week back in the studio to go over the course again and brush up on the skills learned.

Hear Felicity’s experience for yourself and how she progressed throughout the weeks. I’d also like to say thank you Felicity for letting me join her through this journey!

If you fancy flexing your creative talents, want to build on a hobby or make the first steps to changing careers like Felicity, you can visit the National Design Academy website www.nda.ac.uk, contact them by phone on 0115 91234 12 or visit their Facebook and Twitter page.

This course is also available to international students and can be done solely at home instead of in the studio, just contact them to find out more!

These students chose their desired client brief and had the challenge of sourcing appropriate fabrics and materials to use for their sample boards which they will present to the client.

The National Design Academy have a huge collection of wallpapers, fabrics, accessories and carpet samples from various designers, which give the students a large range of choice. However this can make chosing one print very difficult!

The students also had a chance to see how a design practise can be set out and organised, as well as the various ways samples and work can be displayed. James Pilling, Manager of NDA Private Clients Interior Design Service, has a magnetic wall where sketches, images or sources of inspiration can be pinned up for clients to see or as references.

The team were thrilled with how many people came along to find out more about our range of courses and how distance learning works. The atmosphere was buzzing and people were really keen to know more about what they would be studying, how the courses are delivered and what students have achieved since studying. Continue reading →

Joanna grew up in Australia and trained as an accountant for many years, but she couldn’t suppress her creative hunger anymore. She took the plunge and enrolled on a National Design Academy Professional Interior Design Diploma and within a week she was hooked! Now finally doing something she’s loves and enjoying every minute, Joanna runs her own interior design business Joanna Ford Interiors Design , based in Australia, which celebrates honest and thoughtful design. Joanna is proof that successfully changing careers can be achieved and lead to positive things. Get comfy and sink into Joanna’s colourful story Continue reading →

The two decided to take the plunge and set up their own business, Grasshoppers Interiors. Two years on, the business is flying and team Grasshopper is still going strong. Put your feet up and enjoy Sharon and Debbie’s story of success.

Emma Shaw graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2001 with a degree in Industrial Management. Even though she had a keen interest in soft furnishings from a young age, she didn’t expect to follow this path because of her chosen educational route. But when Emma bought her first house, she decided to make all her own furnishings and this reignited the interior design bug she’d always had.

Wanting to develop her skills and flex her creative fingertips, Emma enrolled on a soft furnishings Diploma courseand has never looked back since. She’s now the proud owner of a soft furnishings business which is thriving and experiencing high demand. She’s recently taken on her first employee and launched a brand new website www.ecclesbourneinteriors.com Emma is an example to many young people wanting to challenge themselves and proof that positive things can come thick and fast if you work hard. Enjoy her interview…Continue reading →

If your thinking of a change in career or have a burning desire to brush up on your interior design skills don’t let the niggles hold you back from making yourself successful. Do your research, make sure you know what you want out of your study and take the leap of design!

These students decided to better themselves and are proof that if you believe in yourself you can achieve great success. Have a scroll through our archives and look at the numerous articles about distance learning,business advice,higher education and career changes to help you make up your mind and widen your knowledge before you take the plunge. Or feel free to contact thedesignhub if you need any more advice!

After she couldn’t resist anymore, Karen Lane took the leap of design and is now running a successful interior design business, Autograph Interior Designs. Karen left college without any qualifications, but that didn’t stop her, she was determined to become a great interior designer and started a Diploma course at The National Design Academy in 2007. After flying through the course she progressed onto the Foundation Degree qualification and is now studying a BA Hons in Interior Design. Her story is inspirational and proves that anyone with enough belief can achieve success. Kick your shoes off and enjoy her interview…